Sole laying machine



Sept. 9 1941. FARNUM 2,255,155

SOLE LAYING MACHINE Filed April 1, 1940 F 2 \/El\/ TUfi 1 5 M Patented Sept. 9, 1941 1 OFFICE.

SOLE LAYING MACHINE Leroy Farnum, Swampscott, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. .L, a corporation of New Jersey Application April 1, 1940, Serial No. 327,088

11 Claims.

This invention relates to sole laying machines and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine for laying or pressing an unvulcanized rubber sole upon the bottom of a lasted shoe.

In the manufacture of shoes having rubber soles it is customary to employ machines having a pressure box or chamber for fluid one wall of which comprises a flexible rubber diaphragm, the shoe being supported against pressure exerted through the diaphragm upon the sole which is to be laid or pressed. In general such machines are I then fluid pressure is used to distend the diaphragm.

' This and other features of the invention, including certain details of construction and combinations of parts, will be described as embodied in an illustrated machine and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the holder, the pivoted carrier and the shank presser;-

Fig. 2 is a view, principally in vertical longitudinal section, of a machine in which the device of Fig. 1 is embodied; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modified form of shank presser adapted for use with shoes having low arches.

over the heels of the shoes to which they are atnitude by fluid pressure against the diaphragm,

since there is danger that the diaphragm, which must be sufliciently flexible and whose strength is therefore limited, may burst at some locality, for example where it is forced up around the edge of the bottom of the shoe. Aside from this danger there is another circumstance which limits the fluid pressure which can be applied through the diaphragm, namely the liability of distorting the sole at localities other than the shank.

In order to overcome these difficulties, as well as to provide a construction of general utility, there is provided in accordance with the present invention a shank presser located above and movable independently of the diaphragm toward and from the shoe. and means for causing pressure to be exerted through the diaphragm upon the presser. In the illustrated machine, a holder, which is adapted to be placed upon the diaphragm of a sole laying machine, has pivoted to it a carrier which supports the shank presser. In the operation of the machine, this carrier is swung about its pivot to move the shank presser up into contact with the sole of the shoe, and

'ers of sheet rubber.

The machine chosen for illustration is of the type in which fluid is forced into the pressure box to distend the diaphragm. The machine, aside from the device of Fig. 1, is or may be substantially the same as that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,920,977, granted August 8, 1933, upon an application filed in the name of Sidney J. Finn, and will be only briefly described, it being understood that any suitable machine provided with a flexible diaphragm, which may be distended or deformed to apply pressure to the sole, may be employed. Referring to Fig. 2, the machine comprises a pressure box 5, the upper wall of which consists of a flexible diaphragm 7, herein shown as comprising three lay- Disregarding for the moment the shank presser and its holder which will be described later, the operation of the machine is briefly as follows. A lasted shoe Hill with a sole 30B properly located thereon is placed upon the diaphragm l with its rear end against a rear plate 9 having a piece oi'yielding material H, such as rubber, on its edge. Thereafter, a jack post I3 is swung over into position above the top of the last 200, two side plates, one of which is shown at 14, and a toe plate l5 are slid horizontally so that their edges contact with the shoe, and a toe rest I! carried by the toe plate is brought down upon the toe portion of the shoe. This is the position of parts shown in Fig. 2. Water is now forced under pressure into the pressure box by a piston located in a cylinder l9 to press the sole. After the sole has thus been pressed orlaid, the parts return to their initial positions to permit the removal of the shoe. No further description of the construction and mode of operation of the machine, as thus far described, will be given, since any suitable'machine may be employed, reference being made to the patent for details of construction of the machine herein shown.

The shoe shown in Fig. 2 has a high arch, which results in a recess of considerable height between the shank and the heel breast; and with shoes of this kind considerable difiiculty is encountered in pressing the sole firmly against the walls of the recess. In order to obviate this difficulty, there is provided the device shown complete in Fig. 1. This device comprises an endless frame or holder 23 having parallel straight side walls and curved end walls. Mounted for adjustment in longitudinally extending slots, one of which is shown at 25, in the side walls and held in adjusted positions, respectively, by screws 21 which extend through longitudinal slots 29, are two blocks, one of which is shown at 3|, into which the screws 21 are threaded. Pivoted respectively to these two blocks about alined pivots 33, 35 are two levers 31, 39, which together form a carrier for a shank presser 4 I said shank presser being deformable and resilient and being shown herein as made of a material such as rubber. The shank presser is held in place on the levers 31, 39 by means of ins 43, 45. The pin 43 has a head which is rectangular in cross section, fits in a slot formed in one end of the lever 31 and is pivoted at 41 about an axis which is at right-angles to the axis of the pin 43. The pin 45 is mounted similarly atone end of the lever 39, the pivot 49 corresponding to the pivot 41. The purpose of this construction is to permit ready removal and replacement of the shank presser and to permit the shank presser to accommodate itself to the recesses in the shank portions of shoes of different sizes and styles. The other ends of the levers 31, 39 normally projectabove the top of the holder, being urged into these positions by springs, that for the lever 31 being indicated at 5|. One end of this spring 5I extends beneath a pin 53 carried by the block 3I. The spring encircles the pivot 33, and its other end extends beneath and exerts an upward thrust upon a beveled projection I31 on the lever 31. A

similar spring 55 (Fig. 2) exerts an upward thrust upon the underside of the projection I39 (Fig. 1) on the lever 39. When the device of Fig. 1 is in place upon the diaphragm of a sole laying machine of the type shown, the side plates I 4, when a material in the form of a sheet of rubber 51, the

other end of which passes beneath the forward end of the holder 23 and is provided with two tabs having, respectively, perforations 59, BI which are in effect buttonholes and are slipped over buttons 63, said buttons being located in recesses in the top of the wall of the holder 23.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 2, the operation of the machine is as follows. The shoe I00 is placed upon the diaphragm and the treadle of the machine depressed, whereupon the following 5 I movements of parts take place. The jack post or support I3 is swung into position over the top of the last 290, the side plates, one of which is indicated at I4, and the toe plate I5 are moved in,

and the toe rest I 1 is lowered. The parts are now 42-;

in the positions shown in Fig. 2, the shank presser 4I having been pressed up into the recess in the shank portion of the shoe by the depression of the right-hand ends of the levers 31, 39. A fluid, such as water, is now forced up into the pressure box 5 to cause the diaphragm to be distended and to apply pressure directly to that portion of the sole which covers the lower end of the heel and forms the tread face of the heel of the finished shoe, and, through the shank presser 4i and the blanket 51 to the remainder of the sole. After the sole has been laid, the various parts move back to their initial positions to permit the shoe to be removed.

Although the invention is particularly well adapted to laying soles on pieces of footwear, such as the gaiter shown in Fig. 2, which have high arches, it is also useful in laying soles on shoes which have low arches. In Fig. 3 there is shown a shoe 499 which is of the spring heel type and has a sole 590 with an extension edge. When a shoe such as this is to be operated upon, a presser I4I of a shape somewhat different from that of the pressershown in Figs. 1 and 2 is mounted between the ends of the levers 31 and 39, the blanket I51 being preferably somewhat thicker than the blanket 51; and, before the shoe is placed upon the diaphragm 1, a block or filler,- piece II, which may be of unvulcanized rubber, is placed upon the diaphragm just to the rear of the shank presser. Conveniently, this block or filler-piece is of a size-and shape to fill substantially all of thespace within the holder 23 to the rear of the shank presser, such shape facilitating the placing of the block in proper position. The operation of the shank pressing device ofFig. 3 is the same as has been described with respect to that of Figs. 1 and 2. In Fig. 3 only the shoe 400, the diaphragm 1, the holder 23, the shank presser I4I, the blanket I51, and part of the lever 39 have been shown. It will be understood, however,-that-the parts are in the same positions as are the parts in Fig. 2, the side plates (not shown) having moved in towards the shoe and having tilted the levers 31 and 39-50 as to force the shank presser into firm contact with the shank portion of the sole of the shoe preparatory to the distending of the diaphragm.

Although the invention has beendescribed as embodied in a particular machine in which fluid is admitted to thepressure box to distend the diaphragm, it should be understood that the invention is not limited in the scope of its application to the particular machine-which has been shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A machine of the class described, comprising a pressure box for fluid, one wall of which comprises a flexible diaphragm for pressing a sole against the bottom of a shoe, means for supporting the shoe against pressure applied tothe sole, a shank presser located above and movable independently of the diaphragm, and mechanism for causing the presser to be pressed against the shank of the sole and for thereafter causing pressure to be exerted through the diaphragmand the presser upon the sole.

2. A machine of the class described, comprising a pressure box for fluid, one wall of which comprises a flexible diaphragm for pressing a sole against the bottom of a shoe, means for supporting the shoe against pressure applied to the sole, a deformable shank presser located above-and movable independently of the diaphragm, and

mechanism for causing the presser to be pressed against the shank of the sole and other mechanism for causing pressure to be exerted through the diaphragm and the presser upon the sole.

3. A machine of the class described, comprising a pressure box for fluid, one wall of which comprises a flexible diaphragm for pressing a sole against the bottom of a shoe, means for supporting the shoe against pressure applied to the sole, a shank presser located above and movable independently of the diaphragm, and mechanism for moving the presser away from the diaphragm to cause it to press against the shank of the sole and for causing pressure to be exerted through the diaphragm and the presser upon the sole.

4. A machine of the class described, comprising a pressure box for fluid, one wall of Which comprises a flexible diaphragm for pressing a sole against the bottom of a shoe, means for supporting the shoe against pressure applied to the sole, a deformable shank presser located above and movable independently of the diaphragm, and mechanism for moving th presser away from the diaphragm to cause it to press against the shank of the sole and for causing pressure to be exerted through the diaphragm and the presser upon the sole.

5. A machine of the class described, comprising a pressure box for fluid, one Wall of which comprises a flexible diaphragm for pressing a sole against the bottom of a shoe, means for supporting the shoe against pressure applied to the sole, a pivoted shank presser located above the diaphragm, mechanism for swinging the presser to cause it to be pressed against the shank of the sole, and means for causing pressure to be exerted through the diaphragm and the presser upon the sole.

6. A machine of the class described, comprising a pressure box for fluid, one wall of which comprises a flexible diaphragm for pressing a sole against the bottom of a shoe, means for supporting the shoe against pressure applied to the sole, a deformable resilient presser adapted to be forced against the shank of the sole, a blanket of resilient material extending from the presser into a position beneath the forepart of the sole, and mechanism for causing the presser to be pressed against the shank of the sole and for thereafter causing pressure to be exerted upon the sole through the diaphragm, the presser and the blanket.

7. A machine of the class described, comprising a pressure box for fluid, one wall of which comprises a flexible diaphragm for pressing a sole against the bottom of a shoe, means for supporting the shoe against pressure applied to th sole, a holder adapted to rest upon the diaphragm, a deformable resilient shank presser, a carrier for the presser comprising two members movable with respect to the diaphragm, pins pivoted to said members and adapted respectively to enter sockets in opposite ends of the presser, and mechanism for causing the presser to be pressed against the shank of the sole and for causing pressure to be applied through the diaphragm and the presser upon the sole.

8. A device adapted to be placed upon the diaphragm of the pressure box of a sole laying machine, said device comprising a holder, a support of rigid material movably mounted on the holder, and a shank presser carried by the support.

9. A device adapted to be placed upon the diaphragm of the pressure box of a sole laying machine, said device comprising a holder, a shank presser, and means pivoted to the holder for supporting the shank presser.

10. A device adapted to be placed upon the diaphragm of the pressure box of a sole laying machine, said device comprising a holder provided with an opening, a shank presser located in the opening, and means pivoted to the holder for supporting the shank presser.

11. A device adapted to be placed upon the diaphragm of the pressure box of a sole laying machine, said device comprising a support of rigid material pivotally mounted on the holder, a resilient shank presser carried by the support, and a resilient blanket fixed at one end to the presser and at the other to the holder.

LEROY FARNUM. 

